The Goods - newsletter from Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Science

 

The Goods The Weekly One-Stop Shop for All Your  Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences News

November 30, 2020 | Volume 4, Issue 12

MESSAGE FROM THE GSC

Hello GSBS! We hope that everyone had a restful, safe, and filling Thanksgiving break! With Thanksgiving over and December around the corner, we can now put our Mariah Carey CDs in our walkmans and change our Starbucks orders from PSL to peppermint mochas.  As a reminder, first year students are starting in January this year! GSC is organizing a virtual welcome and club fair for the new students. While this club fair is geared toward incoming students, we are encouraging all students to attend to welcome new students as well as see what student clubs are planning for the next semester. Stay tuned for more details and the zoom link. We also want to remind everyone that all students who are coming into lab should keep getting tested regularly. We are doing a really good job keeping cases low on the Boston campus which keeps everyone safe. If you have any concerns about your safety in regards to the pandemic, please reach out to your student reps, Linden Hu, Dan V, or use the anonymous reporting form.  Yours faithfully, GSC

GSBS STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Jacob Klickstein had his first tomato harvest over Thanksgiving break! It was a good haul. These guys were turned into a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella and dried basil from his garden earlier this summer.

On top of making fresh caprese salad, this year Jacob hosted a smaller Thanksgiving with just his brother and his girlfriend. He was in charge of the turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing. He had the challenge of cooking a 25lb bird in less than 5 hours which I was able to do with the help of the NYT "Fastest Roast Turkey" recipe. Now he just has the problem of trying to eat all of it...

Marina Anastasiou's dog, Gohan, is thriving. All 56lbs of him enjoy the Fall weather! Gohan takes great pleasure in redistributing leaves whenever he is outside. With this recent behavior and his history of academic excellence at his puppy daycare, he is well on his way to be promoted to "branch" manager! She bets he has the Jumbo vote.

To have your student spotlight included in The Goods, send it to alexandra.israel@tufts.edu by 10am on Friday!

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 30 Presentation & Feedback Session on TUSM's Draft Strategic Plan 5 - 6pm Register here. Please join Dean Bates, Dean Sackey, and members of Tufts University School of Medicine’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee for a presentation and feedback session on the School’s strategic planning process. TUSM aspires to strengthen its ability to respond to new and emerging challenges and opportunities, and to continue to be a top-tier medical school. The Strategic Plan will serve as a blueprint to guide the School of Medicine’s choices and investments over the next 3-5 years. December 1 OITE Webinar: Addictive Behaviors 12 - 2:15pm Register here. In this webinar, we will talk about how to recognize unhealthy and addictive behaviors and how to develop strategies for addressing those behaviors. We will talk about substance abuse and other numbing-out/maladaptive coping mechanisms and explore ways to replace unhealthy coping strategies with healthier ones. We will also touch on how to talk with loved ones and colleagues about our concerns and how to access helpful resources. Our discussion will be framed with the context of the up-coming holidays and COVID-19-fatigue. This is a one-hour webinar, followed by facilitated small group discussions. In small groups, we will have an opportunity to discuss and practice skills related to interventions and coping strategies. Because mental health experts will facilitate the small groups, you must register in advance to participate. Health Sciences Virtual Provost's Diversity Reception 5 - 6pm Register here. Provost Nadine Aubry invites you to attend the Health Sciences virtual Provost’s Diversity Reception. This event is open to all graduate and professional students on the Health Sciences campuses. Provost Aubry and Chief Diversity Officer Joyce Sackey, along with representatives from various schools, will make remarks and lead the program. We look forward to meeting graduate and professional students from every school, and faculty and staff are also welcome!    Questions? Contact Lisa Bloom at lisa.bloom@tufts.edu. December 4 Voices from Chinatown: Resilience in the time of COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism 12 - 1pm Register here. It is with great pleasure that Tufts University announces the upcoming webinar, Voices from Chinatown: Resilience in the time of COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism. This conversation will bring together community leaders, residents, and Tufts University faculty that work closely with our Chinatown neighbors to discuss their experiences navigating anti-Asian racism and how the community is pursuing resilience, survival, and dignity in this era of COVID-19. We hope that you will join us! 8th Annual HPV-Related Cancer Summit  Dec. 4 and 11 | 1 - 4pm Register here. The Massachusetts HPV Coalition, in collaboration with Team Maureen Inc., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Southern New Hampshire AHEC and the American Cancer Society, will host the 8th Annual HPV-Related Cancer Summit during two consecutive Fridays, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, from 1 – 4pm EST on both dates. This virtual event features survivors and national experts speaking on HPV vaccination and cancer disparities, the impact of COVID-19 on HPV vaccination rates, newly released cervical cancer guidelines and much more. Registration is open to all healthcare providers, public health advocates, and community members interested in HPV-prevention. Tickets are $25 and provide access to both days. Continuing education credits are available. For the full agenda and registration info, see the website. December 8 The Future of COVID-19 Epidemiology 4pm Register here. To what extent is our future with COVID-19 knowable? As new information about the transmission, demographics, and treatment of COVID-19 emerge, epidemiologists continue to address complex data and generate new predictive models to better understand the dynamics of the virus. Join leading epidemiologists for a panel discussion as they assess the current and future state of the epidemic. This event is sponsored by Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced study. December 10 Final presentations for the Green Fund! 7 - 8pm RSVP here. The Green Fund Committee invites you to attend this year's round of finalist presentations. We are looking to fund up to $40,000 for the implementation of sustainability projects and ideas from and for the Tufts community. Students, faculty, and staff from all of Tufts' campuses were eligible and encouraged to apply. To learn more about the Green Fund, visit go.tufts.edu/greenfund. Additionally, we are seeking undergraduate and graduate students to serve on the Green Fund selection committee for at least one year. The Green Fund selection committee is composed of students, faculty, and staff who review projects and make decisions regarding funding allocation. If interested, please email greenfund@tufts.edu with a statement of intent that includes your name, year, major, why you are interested in working on the Green Fund, and how you think you could bring a unique perspective to the committee by December 1st. December 16 - 19 Picture a Scientist Screening Sign up here. JAX GE and WiSE invite you to a screening of Picture A Scientist. A new documentary which “chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists.” It was an official entry in this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and provides a timely opportunity for us to reflect on the ways we can continue to grow as a discipline and research community. Although we can't hold collective screenings in person, everyone at JAX will have the opportunity to view the film for three days...from the afternoon of December 16 to the afternoon of December 19. We wanted to extend access to you as well! Sign up here for your screening code. Recurring Events Associate Dean Dan Volchok's Zoom Office Hours Every Tuesday and Thursday, 3 - 3:30pm Zoom link: https://tufts.zoom.us/j/92583128894?pwd=NjlCbStnKy9pMXBvb2NwMG14WGFmUT09 In order to keep people informed, Associate Dean Dan Volchok will be holding open Zoom “office hours” focused on student and academic issues. Please feel free to use these sessions to ask questions, make suggestions, or to just touch base and chat. Virtual Yoga & Meditation Classes Schedule Register Here The Student Advisory & Health Administration Office is offering Virtual Yoga & Meditation classes for all Health Sciences Students on the Boston Campus. Please see the flyer for the schedule and class details. This class will be taught via Zoom, you will be sent the link prior to the next class. To sign up, click here. Everyone who participates in yoga is REQUIRED to complete and return the attached liability waiver to Madeleine.Caron@tufts.edu. Virtual Drop-in meditation Thursdays | 12:30pm Interested in developing a stronger meditation practice? Every Thursday at 12:30pm, Dr. Christina Pastan, Director, Mind-Body Wellness, School of Dental Medicine offers a 20-minute session which begins with a short talk about an aspect of meditation followed by a guided experience. If you would like to be added to the listserv to receive additional information for this session, send an email to christina.pastan@tufts.edu. Becoming a Resilient Scientist - Webinar Series September 2020 - February 2021 Register for the next session. The NIH OITE is offering a series of webinars and small group discussions focused on helping undergraduate students, postbacs, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the sciences develop the resilience needed to thrive in high-knowledge environments. This material is helpful for trainees just starting out, those contemplating their next educational move and who are mentoring others. Groups will be organized by educational level so trainees can talk with others experiencing similar educational, work and life stressors. The next session will be on suicide prevention and awareness; you can register here. A full list of NIH OITE events can be found here. To receive email reminders about open events, sign up for the informational listserv. VIEW THE FULL CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PREP Alum Faith Karanja and Colleagues Publish on Ways to Promote Inclusion Faith Karanja, an alum of the GSBS PREP program, is the leading author on "Starting Conversations toward Inclusion" in Cell journal. Faith is a graduate student in the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Virginia. Congratulations to Faith! GSBS Anti-racist Working Group - Open Meetings and Suggestions Document The GSBS Anti-racist Working Group will be opening up its meetings to any member of the community who wishes to attend. Students, faculty, staff, and postdocs are invited to stop by and share their suggestions, comments, and feedback. Meeting details will be posted here as they are available.  If you can't attend a meeting, or would prefer to make suggestions in a different format, the group has a Google Doc of proposed topics, initiatives, and action items. Members of the GSBS community members are free to look at the doc and add their own suggestions. Reminder: Annual Flu Vaccine Requirement Deadline: December 1, 2020 This is a reminder that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has mandated that all students (including those at the graduate level) are required to receive an annual flu vaccine. The deadline to comply with the mandate, receive the vaccination and submit documentation is December 1 2020. If you are unable to receive a vaccine through your healthcare provider you may be able to obtain one through a pharmacy or walk in clinic such as: • Walgreens—no appointment needed • CVS—appointment scheduling is available online Once you receive your vaccine please submit the documentation to Lucia Fenney at lucia.fenney@tufts.edu as a black and white .pdf attachment (dark or imbedded images will not be accepted), or fax it to 617-636-2708. If you were vaccinated at an on campus clinic we have received your documentation. You can email Lucia or Gianna Vroom (gianna.vroom@tufts.edu) with questions. GSBS Student Compact This compact was written by students, for students as a way to show our commitment to hold ourselves accountable and show solidarity for each other. This site also has a variety of resources from our local communities and from GSBS regarding guidelines for how to stay safe and healthy. Additionally, it acknowledges the disproportionate affect this pandemic has had on BIPOC communities and our responsibility to maintain safety as well as show support. TBBC Fall 2020 Upcoming Events The Tufts Biomedical Business Club returns this fall with new events focused on the biotech industry and career development. See the flyer for more information and registration links, and sign up for our mailing list for up to date news on events and opportunities! If you would like to become an active part of the TBBC organization please fill out this survey! For more information, please visit our website. Funding Opportunity: FINESST Through Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) the Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics and Planetary Science Divisions of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) solicit proposals from accredited U.S. universities and other eligible organizations for graduate student-designed and performed research projects. FINESST awards research grants with a research mentor as the principal investigator and the listed graduate student listed as the "student participant". FINESST Proposals are due February 4, 2021. Notices of Intent will not be accepted. Professional Development Resource: National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity is an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. They are dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. For each stage of training, they have a Core Curriculum that centers on four main concepts: strategic planning, explosive productivity, work-life balance, and healthy relationships (you can take it at your own pace), provide webinars and multi-week courses, run 14-day writing challenges, and provide a supportive community through Monday Motivator emails and online community. We have access to this excellent resource through a subscription that Tufts has purchased. It is available to graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. New Course for Spring 2021: Biology of Aging This course is an in-depth examination of current topics in aging research, with a focus on human aging. Topics to be discussed include theories of aging; physiological, cellular, and epigenetic changes that occur with aging; biochemical and energetic processes that affect healthspan and lifespan; and interventions that may affect the aging process. The themes for this course vary each time it is offered. This year there will be an emphasis on protein quality control pathways and their roles in homeostasis, aging, and age-related diseases, along with drugs to exploit those capacities. Students will help direct the course by presenting and critiquing papers selected from a curated list of current aging research literature. For more information, see the flyer.

HIRSH LIBRARY NEWS

Request Books via Mail! A reminder that you can request books via mail from any Tufts library (Tisch, Ginn, etc.). For more information on how to make a request, please see this blog post.

Hirsh Library Office Hours for GSBS Students Tuesdays 11am - 12pm Wednesdays 2 - 3pm Office hours will be happening remotely via Zoom. Those who wish to attend can find information at this link.

CAREER NEWS

Follow the GSBS LinkedIn Page! The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences now has a LinkedIn page! Follow for updates on programs, news about students and faculty, and events. If you or someone in your lab have something you want posted to the LinkedIn page, email alexandra.israel@tufts.edu. Career Coaching Meetings with Sarah Cardozo Duncan The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, in partnership with the Tufts Postdoc Association, is pleased to offer one-on-one career coaching meetings with Sarah Cardozo Duncan. Based in Boston, Sarah is a career strategist with an established global client base and runs her own consulting firm, Career Strategist. Sarah conducts hands-on training and workshops for postdoctoral fellows and her commitment and dedication to helping scientists, mainly postdocs, transform their career paths earned her the 2014 Mass AWIS Mentor of Excellence Award. There are no required prerequisites to sign up for these meetings. You can sign up here. Please contact alexandra.israel@tufts.edu with questions. Resume Writing and Acing the Interview Workshop Thursday, December 10 | 6:30 - 7:30pm Register here. Interested to know how to build your resume for the job market? Need tips to crack the interview? Join AWIS Central MA to learn from the expert, Lauren Celano, Founder and CEO of Propel Careers as she will guide you through the process in this interactive workshop. Registration is $5 for AWIS members and $10 for non-members. Postdoctoral Positions at HNRCA The Lab for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (JM-USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, Boston, is seeking outstanding candidates with a recent PhD in Biochemistry or a related discipline to work on one of the following funded projects: Discovering novel stress-induced ubiquitin and autophagy enzyme interactions in response to glycative stress.   Regulatory mechanisms of eye lens differentiation,    Elucidate interactions between dietary glycemia, metabolomics, microbiome, AMD, cataract, aging in animal studies and/or human populations, including planning randomized intervention studies.  Click here for additional information, including application instructions. CSHL Postdoctoral Fellow Opportunities See this flyer for all of the recent Postdoctoral Fellow opportunities at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Anyone who would like to be considered can go to the CSHL Post Doc Careers page where they can create an account and apply directly to the opening. After application you can contact Jessica Toner (toner@cshl.edu) to have their materials sent directly to the Principal Investigator for review. You can also contact Jessica with any questions.

Get to know Najah Walton from Neuroscience!

STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Wellness Advising Office Mon | 9:30am - 5:00pm Tue | 11:00am - 7:00pm Wed/Thurs/Fri | 9:30am - 5:00pm   Email Sharon.Snaggs@tufts.edu to set up a meeting. Check out the Week in Wellness Newsletter! This week's issue includes recipes for cashew chicken stir fry and one-pan Buddha bowls. Contact Catherine Choi, catherine.y_choi@tufts.edu, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences' representative for the Student Wellness Advisory Committee, with questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding student health and wellness.

Talk One2One - 1.800.756.3124 Free and Confidential counseling service available 24/7 In-person counselors are available on the Boston Campus and can be arranged at off-site locations. Make an appointment through the 1-800 number.

Want your event or announcement in The Goods? Email alexandra.israel@tufts.edu by 10am on Friday.